parshiot

Sunday, January 16, 2011

A while back, in the comment section of a post regarding the Tzunami Kabbalist, Rabbi Shimon Dahan, a commenter named Dinah leveled various accusations against Rabbi Yitzchak Kimmel. In this post, I'll put to prominence the response by Moshe Handler, the executive director of Derech Dovid, the organization designed to promote Rabbi Kimmel as kabbalist and miracle worker for hire.

In the interests of fairness, at the very least, I should give this rejoinder the prominence of a full post, and so here it is. But at the same time I should make clear that this post does not constitute a ringing endorsement of Rabbi Yitzchak Kimmel as uber-kabbalist. I might go into the reasons why in a separate post, but for now the following excerpt from Faith and Folly, by Rabbi Yaakov Mosheh Hilel, should suffice:

, particularly the stomach-ache point. Many of the people who go around promoting themselves as kabbalists are charlatans and con-men, and I know of at least one case where, when a prominent local Rabbi spoke out against one, was visited by people who threatened him physically, and thereafter has not spoken out against the many fake kabbalists who visit Kew Gardens Hills and bilk people of their money. How does one know? *I* certainly am no kabbalist to say, one way or another. See also this page in the book. B'ezrat Hashem, I'll expand on this point in a separate post.

At any rate, here is the defense of Moshe Handler, targeting the points raised by Dinah there:

! am the person who wrote the letter about Rabbi Kimmel.The person who slandered Rabbi Kimmel was contemplating a run for congress at the time of his post. He was looking to gain publicity in the Jewish Community by taking down Rabbi Kimmel.Every "Charge" he made can be prove false. Just type Rabbi Kimmel into google and you will see;Photos of Rabbi Kimmel with Rabbanit Alfasi. (if she never heard of him, how did she take a picture with him?)Videos of a Sefer Torah Donated in the name of Rabbi Alfasi where Rabbi Kimmel was the guest of honor. (Why would Rabanit Alfasi make Rabbi Kimmel the guest of honor if she didn't know him?)Photos of Rabbi Kimmel Shaking hands with world renowned Rabbis where he was honored.You also might want to check out rabbi-kimmel.blogspot.com where the names of some world renowned rabbis who support him are mentioned.So who would you want to believe, some low life character assasin who never even met Rabbi Kimmel or Gedolei Torah?

I think Moshe Handler was just slightly careless in labeling this video. see the description of that, and it would seem that the second speaker is Rabbi Avrohom Yaakov Zohn. Just the *title* has rabbi kimmel in it, but it is part J. there is a part i, etc. as well.

see on the same account of moshehandler, this video:http://www.youtube.com/user/moshehandler#p/a/u/2/lHnAvKMJkwg

in which they take care to zoom on the actual rabbi kimmel as Rabbi Bruer is talking. this is the same fellow.

1. I am the one posting the videos not Rabbi Kimmel so to call ist self promotion for Rabbi Kimmel is highly inaccurate.

2. Devorah loves to promote anti Rabbi Kimmel Propoganda and she may be behind the nasty Alfassa site. Her name seems to be connected to almost everything anti Rabbi Kimmel.

3. I post these photos and videos to defend the name of Rabbi Kimmel. Allegation 1 at the site is that Rabbanit Alfasi never heard of hime so I posted pictures of him with Rabbanit Alfasi as well of videos of him being honored by the Alfasi family.

He was called a fraud so I posted names of Rabbis who support him and stories of people who were helped by him.

Devorah knows this but she is very sneaky. She tells you to go to the alfasa site for the "picture." when what she really wants is for you to read the anti Kimmel propaganda.

in terms of (1), I'll expand in another post, but frankly, of course people will see through explicit self-promotion. that is why many con men have one man as the rebbe and one as the chassid/gabbai. it is self promotion since this is his organization putting out such stuff. and you, who are/were the executive director of Derech Dovid, promoting him in this way for him is self-promotion. that is what i meant by the term. i was planning on explaining this at length in a follow-up post, but i've now explained this briefly here.

In terms of (2), I contacted Devorah about this in the first place, not vice versa. In the other post, it was Dinah, not Devorah, who made the comment. Devorah is not a US resident, and had never heard of rabbi kimmel. (She even thought i had misidentified him and was bringing proof from your video.) She is generally pro-kabbalist, in the general case, and so your claim is rather ludicrous. Please prove your assertion that she is associated with almost everything anti-Kimmel.

Further, to suggest that she is behind the alfassa site is equally ludicrous. The fellow has a picture of himself on the website, at the very top. He has published many books; he is running for congress in the 9th district. Devorah, meanwhile, I know is not even a US resident.

>3. I post these photos and videos to defend the name of Rabbi Kimmel. Allegation 1 at the site is that Rabbanit Alfasi never heard of hime so I posted pictures of him with Rabbanit Alfasi as well of videos of him being honored by the Alfasi family.

Allegation 1 is "(1) Kimmel was never a student of Rabbi Eliyahu Elfassi," not "Rabbanit Alfasi never heard of him."

Do you really think you're helping your cause by rewriting the claim you feel that you can respond to rather than the claim actually made?

i think he might have missed that aspect of the claim, and counted as claim 1 this paragraph:"A religious woman from New York we shall call “Rachel,” telephoned Rabbi Elfassi's widow in August of 2010. Rebbetzin Elfassi denied ever knowing or meeting a “Rabbi Kimmel” from New York. She also was very upset to learn that Kimmel is claiming he earned semicha (was ordained) by Rabbi Elfassi--because the rabbi had a yeshiva with 10 students and this yeshiva did NOT teach kabbalah."

from "Investigations", rather than "Truths", and chose to focus on that aspect. perhaps he then believes that every other part of this allegation falls.

1. Rabbi Kimmel has never claimed to have received Semicha from Rabbi Alfasi. What I know about Rabbi Kimmel and Rabbi Alfassi is that they spoke (either by telephone or in person) at least hundreds of times over the years.

2. As far as Rabanit Alfasi never hearing about Rabbi Kimmel, the videos that I posted show Rabbi Kimmel as the guest of honor by Rabanit Alfasi, her son-in-law and even shows her son giving Rabbi Kimmel publicly giving gifts to Rabbi Kimmel.

3. You can go to http://www.flickr.com/photos/57498597@N02/ to see photos of the Rabbanit Alfasi and Rabbi Kimmel.

4. Yes, in the past few weeks I have posted videos that have been in my possesion for years in support of Rabbi Kimmel. I felt this was important for many reasons.

There are hundreds of people that learn Mishnayos every day because they were encouraged by Rabbi Kimmel. There are people who go to the mikveh, are "Marve Sedrah" and are Shomer Shabbos only because they met him.

By NOT defending him, it is possible that some of these people may become disillusioned and fall back to their old ways, Chas vsholom.

I am happy that Devorah deleted her comments buy in what way does she substantiate the claim of "They are dangerous people." Rabbi Kimmel has never hurt anyone in any way.

That comment in itself is an attempt at a smear in my opinion.

If you go to rabbi-kimmel.blogspot.com (My posts my blog) You will see that even in the Flatbush area Rabbi Kimmel and his work is known by

1. Rabbi Kimmel has never claimed to have received Semicha from Rabbi Alfasi. What I know about Rabbi Kimmel and Rabbi Alfassi is that they spoke (either by telephone or in person) at least hundreds of times over the years.

It was on the website - now deleted.

Moshe Handler has been tight with Kimmel for a very long time - scamming people in their computer business and now the Kabbalah business.

Actually - Kimmel was very prone to violence and would brag about his conquests - hence the need for anonimity

btw, the ("perhaps") is to show that Anonymous can be anybody, even, for all I know, Rabbi Kimmel himself. if you are so sure of yourself, why not reveal your identity? the haskama from an Anonymous person, writing in ALL-CAPS, is all but worthless.

Overheard: What do you call that again?
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Older fellow with glasses: I see that book in your taliis bag, called "Forgiveness". What is it about? New Age Guy: It is about how you have to forgive all t...

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parshablog is published by (rabbi) josh waxman (joshwaxman [at] yahoo [dot] com), a grad student in Revel, a grad student in a Phd program in computer science at CUNY. i recently received semicha from RIETS. this blog is devoted to parsha as well as whatever it is i am currently learning.